This disclosure relates to locking threaded fasteners, and in particular, to compounds for locking threaded fasteners.
Certain compounds are routinely applied between threaded fasteners, such as bolts, and threaded holes, such as nuts, to lock the bolt into the threaded hole. These locking compounds provide torque resistance against bolt removal. Such locking compounds are typically designed to withstand only relatively low temperatures, breaking down and providing less torque resistance when exposed to higher temperatures, such as temperatures in excess of 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Bolts and threaded holes for certain applications, such as in gas turbine engines, can be exposed to temperatures exceeding 500 degrees Fahrenheit and higher. Consequently, bolts exposed to such high temperatures are typically locked in place with some type of mechanical bolt lock as opposed to applying a locking compound between threads.
Some compounds, such as gas turbine engine paint, are designed to withstand higher temperatures. Such paints are typically applied on engine surfaces, over bolts and nuts after assembly, to protect such surfaces from corrosion. These paints are not applied in threaded holes and have little or no wicking between bolts and threaded holes.